How Come These 10 Rock Artists Have Never Played the Super Bowl?

There was a time when rock acts dominated the Super Bowl halftime show. In the past, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Prince have all taken the headlining spot, while ZZ Top, Aerosmith and Sting are just some of the rockers to make cameos alongside other artists. Yes, that's a formidable list of rock stars, but in recent memory, the event has been a decidedly pop-focused affair. The last rock band to headline the Super Bowl halftime show was Coldplay in 2016, and prior to that was the Who in 2010.

This year, the NFL decided to go with Maroon 5 as its headliner - another pop band with broad national appeal, but whose credibility within the rock world seems to be lacking. Even as rock’s biggest acts continue to sell-out arenas and headline major festivals, the NFL excludes them from the biggest event in sports.

Rather than question the league’s choice for this year’s entertainment, we at UCR would like to look ahead to future Super Bowls. Below are 10 candidates, all bonafide stars who could handle the massive halftime show spotlight. The next five years will see the big game played in Miami, Tampa, Los Angeles, Phoenix and New Orleans. Our hope is that some of these artists will be given the halftime show honor at one of those events: